The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[stonykill]

BDM, so sorry for your loss. I hope Stony is right, and that it was a heart attack

it doesn't sound unusual to me. BUT I still don't know how she got this bird. Did she hatch it, or buy it a short while ago. Data matters

 

[aoxa]

it doesn't sound unusual to me. BUT I still don't know how she got this bird. Did she hatch it, or buy it a short while ago. Data matters

She raised him from a chick. I don't think she hatched him, but I am not sure on that.

She did say he seemed lethargic the day before, and his comb started to turn blue, is this normal in heart failure?

 

[stonykill]

She raised him from a chick. I don't think she hatched him, but I am not sure on that.

She did say he seemed lethargic the day before, and his comb started to turn blue, is this normal in heart failure?

I'm not saying specifically it was heart failure. However I am saying a perfectly healthy looking 10 month old chicken going from perfectly healthy looking to dead in a day isn't some crazy thing that doesn't happen. It does. Whatever birth defect the chick was born with seems to kill it around this age. Been there, done that. A few times a year. The rooster I referenced , his parents are still alive. 6 years old. The hen still lays, the rooster still has his own harem. Both are perfectly healthy. He dropped dead at 10 months old. Healthy to dead overnight.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Just mowed the lawn for the second time this week. It is officially spring. Our grass grows so fast here. I need to keep it under control so I don't have to use the bagger.

This year I'm trying to gather all my grass clippings, lay it out to dry, then save it. I use it for the nest boxes and they LOVE the grass best. I saved some last year over the winter but only a 5 gallon bucket so I didn't have enough for winter. So..I'm thinkin' ... It's grass hay and I might as well not lose it if I can dry it and keep it.

I would have put some down inside the hen house floor from time to time if I'd had more for them to eat and kick around in.

And - I like that it isn't legume hay with all the stems/straws...just nice soft grass!

 

[OohLaLa]

I lost my roo, Gunnar.

Monday he was fine and today he passed away on the ride to the veterinarian.

Yesterday he became a bit lethargic and disoriented. No respiratory symptoms - clear eyes/nose... but last night the top of his comb started turning a purple/black color... and today he died.

I'm pretty torn up over this, not to mention worried about the rest of my flock... and I won't have answers for a couple days. (These will be the longest couple days in history!)

I took this picture of him on Sunday... picture of health.

Very majestic. My hubby wants to get a rooster, he is always talking about it. He does not understand the two sole purposes of a rooster...babies and protection. I have 3 BIG dogs right by my coop and I want eggs to eat. You can't just get a rooster without eventually having the coop bursting at the seems.

 

[Shan30]

Here we have fruit flies, black flies and no-see-ums, three differed creatures. All super annoying.

Having a hard time regulating the temperatures in the brooder hut for the 3 & 4 week olds. Our weather changes every 5 minutes so I have to decide whether to raise or lower the light and if I should open the window or not. Temps have fluctuated from 4 at night to 27 in the afternoon (celsious sorry I'm clueless about farenheit).

Only once I have come home to find them clearly too hot at least they can snuggle if it gets chilly.

I'll have to figure it out so I can concentrate on my job haha

 

[salt and pepper]

Any one use lime for pest control???

 

[OohLaLa]

The red brooder light is throwing off my pics and the flash scares my babies so I went techno. This little gal is always the first to great me, always sits by me and is a crack up...does her expression give the ham in her away? She is my Astralorp. My wee little EE in the back ground seems to have no fear and loves to play leap frog off of everything in the brooder including her sisters.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Any one use lime for pest control???

I don't use anything in my deep litter. I do give them a dust area with wood ash mixed in for them to dust in. The wood ash smothers the lice/mites and helps prevent them. I also use herbs in the nest boxes and a new concoction that I'm going to write about when I have time!

 

[Child of Noah]

Okay, Stony - on the 10 month olds:

What is your theory? Why does this happen to some and not to others?
Have you noticed the same parentage or just random?
Do you see anything different in their behavior, appearance, eating habits, etc. as they're growing up?
Anything noticeable about them when they are newly hatched?

Anything at all that would make you think that particular bird wasn't going to make it?

I'm not saying specifically it was heart failure. However I am saying a perfectly healthy looking 10 month old chicken going from perfectly healthy looking to dead in a day isn't some crazy thing that doesn't happen. It does. Whatever birth defect the chick was born with seems to kill it around this age. Been there, done that. A few times a year. The rooster I referenced , his parents are still alive. 6 years old. The hen still lays, the rooster still has his own harem. Both are perfectly healthy. He dropped dead at 10 months old. Healthy to dead overnight.

Very important information since Leah's Mom has birds of that family... and I sincerely hope to some day as well. They are so beautiful! SFH's in general, but Bulldogma's and Leah's Mom's birds specifically are gorgeous specimens. It would be horrible if they happen to have a gene that makes them drop dead suddenly... but from Stony's experience, that doesn't seem to be the case.
I hope the vet confirms this to be true as well.